Julien Alfred stormed to the Olympic women’s 100m title at Paris 2024 to make history as St Lucia’s first ever medallist at a Games.
As the rain teemed down at a raucous Stade de France, Alfred, 23, dominated the final and took victory by a clear margin in a national record 10.72 seconds.
American world champion Sha’Carri Richardson took silver in 10.87, with compatriot Melissa Jefferson (10.92) third.
Great Britain’s Daryll Neita finished four-hundredths of a second off the podium in fourth, crossing the line in 10.96.
Neita produced the best finish by a British female athlete in an Olympic sprint final for 64 years but that will be of little consolation in her pursuit of a first individual global medal.
“I’m finding it hard to find words at the minute, literally speechless, so close to the medal, so close,” Neita told BBC Sport.
“I’m healthy and I have the 200m to contest. I was so close to that medal and I really want that medal but fourth in the Olympics
something to be proud of.”
Her British team-mates Dina Asher-Smith and Imani-Lara Lansiquot earlier failed to make the final, while Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the competition before her semi-final.
Asher-Smith finished fifth in her semi-final in 11.10 and Lansiquot missed out after running 11.21.
“I’m just disappointed because I’m in great shape and have been in great shape all season. I fully expected to make that final, the race wasn’t even fast,” Asher-Smith told BBC Sport.
“I know I’m in a lot better shape than that. I just go on to the 200m, but again I’m fully disappointed. I should have made that.”
Neita and Asher-Smith will both now target a medal in the 200m, which starts on Sunday morning.
St Lucia, a Caribbean island of fewer than 200,000 people, has fielded athletes at seven previous Olympics without a medal.
But Alfred has broken her nation’s duck – and takes home a stunning gold – following her heroics in a Paris downpour.
She did not look like being caught from the moment she hit the front, leaving Richardson among those in her wake as she took a commanding victory.
With her first global outdoor title secured, a jubilant Alfred continued to sprint far beyond the finish line in celebration before tearing her pinned name off her vest and showing it to the crowd.
Alfred announced herself at the start of this Olympic year by winning world indoor 60m gold – also a first by an athlete from St Lucia.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist has improved steadily during the season and set a new personal best – and national record – when she ran 10.78 at the start of June, before reducing her 200m best to 21.86 in London last month.
Based in Austin, Texas, where she trains under coach Edrick Floreal and alongside Asher-Smith, Alfred reached the final of both the 100m and 200m at the 2023 World Championships – finishing fifth and fourth respectively.
She has now delivered on the world-beating promise she had displayed – and will reset for the 200m in a bid for further history.
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Heartiest congratulations to both St. Lucia and Dominica on winning gold at the Olympics. Great feat for their respective country and for the Eastern Caribbean.
Nice
Congratulations to her! During my time at UWI in Barbados, I lived with St Lucian’s students. Great people.
Absolutely. A proud moment for Dominica and St. Lucia and indeed the OECS.
Scroll backwards ANR. I’ve been telling you guys about this girl for months by highlighting her name and it seems like maybe because she is from St Lucia the recognition wasn’t there. Ms Alfred won gold in the World indoor Championships a few months back and it seems like nothing, since you continued to hear the big names in track mentioned over and over instead of hers, even in this Olympics when she won her heat against the popular Richardson, Otto Bolton try to downplay it.
The Boltons and the rest of the world will now have to call, mention and recognize not only the name Julien Alfred but your country St Lucia. Big up my girl and let’s mash up all a dem in de 200m.
758 🇱🇨 my bloodline ❤❤❤
Indeed heartiest congratulations to our Caribbean sister St. Lucia. Still trying to understand if they can do it, why can’t we. What are we doing wrong? Perhaps the administrators, coaches etc need to carryout an introspection
@Bluddy Bloke, after the disgraceful Rio Olympics with Miguel Francis in his greatest form and everything went wrong, I said the entire Olympics/athletics committee, board and structure needs a revamping. It’s 2024 and we still have the same people running a show that’s not going anywhere.
Watched the so called trials that took place and the big man walking aroud with hands in pocket, talking about in four years time. Man we had four years to get here and four years before this and it’s still the same. It’s like we’re going in reverse.
@Carvaa I agree with your sentiments but large part of it has to do with the funding of our athletes by the government. I heard the Prime Minister of Dominica speaking of the assistance that his government has provided to Thea LaFond. Once an athlete is identified with some potential we have to invest in them so they can compete on the world stage with the best in the world. Our 100 meters hopeful Cejahe Green did his heat in 10.17 seconds and all the eight finalists in the 100 meters finals clocked times below 9.92 seconds. In the dominant sporting counties of the world they identify talent early and put the funding in place to develop the talent. We have to do likewise if we want to achieve medals at the Olympics.
@Carvaa I agree with your sentiments but a large part of it has to do with the funding of our athletes by the government. I heard the Prime Minister of Dominica speaking of the assistance that his government has provided to Thea LaFond. Once an athlete is identified with some potential we have to invest in them so they can compete on the world stage with the best in the world. Our 100 meters hopeful Cejahe Green did his heat in 10.17 seconds and all the eight finalists in the 100 meters finals clocked times below 9.92 seconds. In the dominant sporting counties of the world they identify talent early and put the funding in place to develop the talent. We have to do likewise if we want to achieve medals at the Olympics.
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